Category: Book Marketing

It took a less than an hour in 2013 for Anna Todd to change her life. The Army wife and part-time babysitter had spent a lot of time reading fan fiction, stories by amateur writers about existing fictional universes and real-life celebrities. So her erotic tale about Tessa and Hardin—a wholesome college freshman and a tattooed bad boy who is a thinly veiled stand-in for singer Harry Styles—came together quickly when she sat down to typed the first chapter of After on her phone. Todd posted it to Wattpad, one of the world’s largest destinations for online reading and writing……

“Being a food writer is the most punk rock thing a person can do, and Jonathan Gold was the most punk rock of us all.” Javier Cabral pays homage to the legendary Los Angeles food writer, who was both his mentor and his role model.

Earlier this year, the price on the blockbuster book, The Girl on the Train, was slashed from $11.99 to $1.99 for one day only.

Previously, Gone Girl was discounted from $9.99 to $2.99, and The Da Vinci Code was given away for free for one week. In all three cases, the discounts were only available for the ebook version.

Most people were completely unaware of these huge deals.

A select group of readers, however, had the inside scoop on all these deals and more. They were using our service here at BookBub: a daily email that alerts readers to free and deeply discounted ebooks that are available for a limited time.

Over 10 million people have signed up for BookBub’s free service. Readers sign up with just an email address, and then select their favorite genres. Each day, we send an email with free and discounted bestselling ebooks in the selected genres. Just click, download, and read on any device: Kindle, Nook, iPad, iPhone, Droid, & more.

Customized Categories

From romance to mystery, cookbooks to non-fiction, and literary to historical fiction there are more than 35 categories to choose from to customize your email.

Expert Editors

Each title is hand selected by our editorial team to ensure the highest quality – we do the work for you. In addition, each book is at least 75% off, and many are free, which makes it extremely low risk to try new authors and genres.

“It’s the Groupon of books,” Dominique Raccah, the publisher of Sourcebooks, told The New York Times about deal sites like BookBub. “For the consumer, it’s new, it’s interesting. It’s a deal and there isn’t much risk. And it works.”

Book lovers have now become practically obsessed with this concept. In many cases, they’ve downloaded hundreds of books and saved hundreds of dollars using the service.

“I now have more books than I can read in a lifetime,” said Suzie Miller of Auburn, WA. She said she has downloaded more than 350 free ebooks using the service.

Do you have a habit of picking up books that you never quite get around to reading? If this sounds like you, you might be unwittingly engaging in tsundoku – a Japanese term used to describe a person who owns a lot of unread literature.

Prof Andrew Gerstle teaches pre-modern Japanese texts at the University of London. He explained to the BBC the term might be older than you think – it can be found in print as early as 1879, meaning it was likely in use before that.

The word “doku” can be used as a verb to mean “reading”. According to Prof Gerstle, the “tsun” in “tsundoku” originates in “tsumu” – a word meaning “to pile up”. So when put together, “tsundoku” has the meaning of buying reading material and piling it up.”The phrase ‘tsundoku sensei’ appears in text from 1879 according to the writer Mori Senzo,” Prof Gerstle explained. “Which is likely to be satirical, about a teacher who has lots of books but doesn’t read them.”

While this might sound like tsundoku is being used as an insult, Prof Gerstle said the word does not carry any stigma in Japan. Bibliomania is the title of a 19th Century novel by Thomas Frognall Dibdin which claimed to explore “book madness” – the act of being unable to stop collecting literature.

By his definition, those afflicted with bibliomania were obsessed with unique books such as first editions and illustrated copies. But two centuries later, the term would no longer be about obsession – according to Oxford University Press, it has been shifted to “passionate enthusiasm” about collecting.

While the two words may have similar meanings, there is one key difference: Bibliomania describes the intention to create a book collection, tsundoku describes the intention to read books and their eventual, accidental collection. But you might argue both are more generally described by a variation of the distracted boyfriend meme.

Strictly speaking, the word doku does mean reading, so tsundoku should probably only be used when discussing literature. But you might not be surprised to know some people have applied the term to other aspects of their lives.

In a popular post on Reddit’s community dedicated to books, people discussed how this term could explain their relationship with films, television shows and even clothing. One of the most popular interpretations concerned video games, with various people referencing their “vast, untouched software libraries” on game distribution platforms like Steam.

Summer is often a time of rest and relaxation, with plenty of time to sit out by the pool or on the beach with a good book. It’s no surprise that entrepreneurs fill up their summer reading list with books that will help them run their business better. There are the business classics like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Good to Great, but sometimes business owners can find valuable lessons in an unexpected read. We asked 15 members of Young Entrepreneur Council the following question:

“I’ve been reading Quiet by Susan Cain and it’s all about introverts in a world that celebrates extroversion. As a leader, there are a lot of cues to take to better craft experiences and environments for both.” ~ Darrah Brustein, darrah.co

“I would recommend this book for growing businesses with a founder that makes too many changes too often (like me). It’s all about clarifying the roles of a visionary and an integrator in a business and learning when the founders need to let go for better execution.” ~ Sunny Desai, Desai Hotel Group

“Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor, but he was also a Stoic philosopher. His Meditations aren’t a thrill-a-minute read, but they are full of insights that can be useful to entrepreneurs and managers. In stressful times, I often think of this quote: “When anything tempts you to feel bitter: don’t think, ‘This is misfortune,’ but ‘To bear this well is good fortune.’” ” ~ Vik Patel, Future Hosting

“Alex Banayan just released The Third Door, a book that took him seven years to write. I love it because it uncovers scrappy ways of getting to the likes of Bill Gates and Maya Angelou, how each of these “mega successful” people have all consistently found not the front door or the back door, but some “third” side door to bust into an industry or career.” ~ Beck Bamberger, BAM Communications

Shoe Dog is a memoir by the creator of Nike. It made me realize that even the biggest companies of our time have gone through the same challenges most entrepreneurs face during their formative years.” ~ Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

“I love how this book outlines ways to make the most of your time, whether it’s during office hours, with friends or with family. Small business owners are notorious for burning the midnight oil trying perfect their businesses, and this book is an inspirational reminder that busyness isn’t the answer, and perfection isn’t attainable. It offers practical and implementable tips to be more present.” ~ Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR

“This collection of personal essays illustrates how empathy works. If small business owners set out to solve problems and be a force of change, empathy is the muscle that needs the most exercise. These essays ask the reader to consider what makes the world around us meaningful, using music as its guiding lens. What if we used a similar principle when deciding how we fit into our customers’ lives?” ~ Sean Harper, Kin Insurance

“This is a book by Buddhist Master Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and it completely changed my approach to both life and work. The focus is on understanding that every experience is a perception of the mind, and that how we feel is based on how we choose to interpret situations. The more positive we are, the happier we become. This has helped keep me happy, which in turn, makes me more productive.” ~ Marcela De Vivo, Brilliance

“I was inspired by this book’s message of becoming a true individual. More and more people are associating with people who already share their tastes and ideologies, and we see people with different opinions as “other.” She suggests disagreeing with the parts of your “tribe” that you disagree with and being true to yourself, even if it means having to walk alone and brave the wilderness.” ~ Alex Fedorov, Fresh Tilled Soil, LLC

“Former head negotiator of the FBI Chris Voss’s book “Never Split the Difference” is a great book to read for anyone wanting to learn how to build their negotiation skills. There’s some atypical advice in there that works such as, “the fastest way to getting to yes is by getting to no.” ” ~ Kenny Nguyen, Big Fish Presentations

“Switch shares simple but powerful insights into why it is so hard for people to change their behavior. By sharing takeaways from anecdotes and scientific studies, small business owners can use the shortcuts presented in the book to implement personal change, as well as organizational change.” ~ Stephen Beach, Craft Impact Marketing

“This book reveals that people fit into one of the following four tendencies: Questioner, Upholder, Rebel and Obliger. It helps you not only figure out yourself, it also provides insights to others and how they think and what motivates them. This makes it easier for you to work with them and find the best ways to communicate with them based on those qualities.” ~ Vladimir Gendelman, Company Folders, Inc

“Bad Blood by John Carreyrou is about the collapse and scandal surrounding the biotech company Theranos. It’s an entertaining read, but it’s also important for anyone in business to read as a cautionary tale on what happens when people abandon ethics and run their business in a very secretive way. It’s a good primer on what not to do.” ~ Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting

“You wouldn’t think this book would give insight to small business owners, but it does. One part talks about Nietzsche, who proposed that we should see ourselves as gardeners in our life and in leadership. A freshly planted garden doesn’t seem like much, but a gardener knows the potential of it and works to cultivate it into something beautiful. The same can be said for starting a small business.” ~ Brian David Crane, Caller Smart Inc.

“I’ve read this book many times, and I plan on rereading it this summer. I love this book, especially for small business owners, because it reminds us never to lose hope. If we work diligently toward a goal, and we believe that we can achieve it, we will get there eventually.” ~ Zachary Burkes, Predictable Profits

Amazon should open their own bookstores in all local communities. They can replace local libraries and save taxpayers lots of money, while enhancing the value of their stock.

There was a time local libraries offered the local community lots of services in exchange for their tax money. They would bring books, magazines, and journals to the masses through a borrowing system. Residents could borrow any book they wanted, read it, and return it for someone else to read.

They also provided residents with a comfortable place they could enjoy their books. They provided people with a place they could do their research in peace with the help of friendly librarians. Libraries served as a place where residents could hold their community events, but this was a function they shared with school auditoriums. There’s no shortage of places to hold community events.

Libraries slowly began to service the local community more. Libraries introduced video rentals and free internet access. The modern local library still provides these services, but they don’t have the same value they used to. The reasons why are obvious.

One such reason is the rise of “third places” such as Starbucks. They provide residents with a comfortable place to read, surf the web, meet their friends and associates, and enjoy a great drink. This is why some people have started using their loyalty card at Starbucks more than they use their library card.

On top of this, streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have replaced video rentals. They provide TV and movie content to the masses at an affordable rate. Actual video rental services like Blockbuster have gone completely out of business.

Then there’s the rise of digital technology. Technology has turned physical books into collector’s items, effectively eliminating the need for library borrowing services.

Of course, there’s Amazon Books to consider. Amazon have created their own online library that has made it easy for the masses to access both physical and digital copies of books. Amazon Books is a chain of bookstores that does what Amazon originally intended to do; replace the local bookstore. It improves on the bookstore model by adding online searches and coffee shops. Amazon Go basically combines a library with a Starbucks.

At the core, Amazon has provided something better than a local library without the tax fees. This is why Amazon should replace local libraries. The move would save taxpayers money and enhance the stockholder value of Amazon all in one fell swoop.

I like to live in the moment and enjoy smelling the roses. I try to find the positives in life. Why not? It can lead to a good health outcome as a result. Well, there is some data that supports that notion. Not entirely sold on it, however. But I do personally believe it. It’s like that song Live in the Moment by Portugal The Man notes:

“Ooh la la la la la
Let’s live in the moment
Come back Sunday morning
A lie, oh well
When you’re gone; Goodbye, so long, farewell

Actually, I am not too sure that those lyrics mean. Why do songwriters have to be so mysterious with their meanings? I suppose I understand a tad bit from my own poetry writing experience. Many times my meaning is only known to myself and I enjoy seeing how others treat my words like a blank canvas and add their own meaning to them. But, speaking of words let me get back to living in the moment. I like it. I enjoy it.

But I understand that we also need to anticipate future needs, desires and expectations. And, I am struck by how so many people do not do so. Many will justify their lack of future preparedness by noting that they believe in living in the moment but that is just not an excuse. You have to anticipate being hungry at night and have a somewhat stocked fridge. Well, of course, if you live in New York City you can always run out and find something open. But you get my point.

I came across this quote, and book title by Bestselling author Harvey Mackay, “Dig a well before you are thirsty” and was struck by how true and real it was. If you love hiking and the immediacy of it, you still anticipate being thirsty and bring a canteen, water bottle or, if you are like me, a soda. You are not likely to assume that someone else will supply you with water to quench your thirst or that there will be drinking stations along the way.

I did see an episode recently of the soon-to-be-cancelled Life Sentence wherein a main character was going hiking and completely didn’t anticipate needing water. He was completely a live-in-the-moment guy who was trying to impress a girl. He was also a guy who was basically treading water in life who had put much of his life on hold or rather hadn’t moved forward very far in life. I am not too sure that is completely adaptive.

The book by Harvey Mackay was about networking in the business world. But, the principle holds true for life overall. It does amaze me how people often do not think through the consequences of their actions or inactions. So, let’s do Carpe Diem and dig wells. That would be a full, maximized life.

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Learn all of the fundamentals of Book selling on Amazon FBA from start to finish. Equipment needed, how to list effectively and efficiently, configuring your listing software, scanning software settings, grading your books and much more.

Pricing your books to sell is critical and is the #1 reason we see people having issues with sell through rate. This section elaborates on initial pricing as well as my in-depth re-pricing settings to keep sales coming in even on long tail books.

We have designed this course to teach you everything you need to know about selling used books on Amazon FBA in over 42 live video lessons. 3 bonus videos are also included.

Entering this new business venture we thought the best plan would be to find someone that could show you the ropes and the best way of doing things. That is exactly what we found with Book Selling 101, it breaks the entire process down so that even a complete rookie could get going and start making money almost immediately.

There are videos on what equipment you need, what softwares are most efficient, sourcing, pricing, listing, packing, shipping etc etc. There is no need to look anywhere else or watch any other videos, any question you could have is answered.

We think what sets the course apart from others is the in depth guides on Grading/Listing/Pricing. That is the most difficult part of Book Selling and what has the biggest impact on actually selling books and making money!

You will learn techniques and strategies such as:

– How to determine which books are profitable and how to SKIP the ones that aren’t, just by looking at them

– Where to FIND the most profitable used books

– How to avoid the competition and look where others never even think to begin looking

– The perfect pricing strategy that increased my sales by over 100%

– The absolute best combination of software and hardware needed to make a seamless business model and a whole lot more …

This is how Matt doing an 881 book shipment after this amazing training

Without Book Selling 101 there is absolutely no way you will able to accomplish . All inclusive approach really simplified things and made it possible to start making money immediately. If you are wanting to start selling books on Amazon then sign up, start learning and a month from now you could be making money.